FutureArc March 2019

MARCH 2019

Green Living A landscape for the community

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Regeneration Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

The Interview Harper Landscape Architecture LLP

Paving Meeting demand for urban spaces

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DESIGN TANK PHOTO MAX ROMMEL

Stripes Design: Lars Tornøe

vestre.co.uk

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WELCOME

WELCOME Welcome to the March issue of FutureArc. Firstly, we would like to congratulate the winners in the landscape architecture categories of the Pro Landscaper Business Awards.

In the Landscape Architect Practice (with more than 20 employees) category the winner was fabrik, while Outerspace took the title in the Landscape Architect Practice category (with less than 20 employees).

In this issue we focus on the landscape-led regeneration of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. Overseas, we feature a striking airport redevelopment in Singapore which features indoor waterfalls and a range of other landscape elements.

This issue’s Property piece features a forward-thinking company which makes sensitivity to community needs the key to their landscape strategy. In a new column, Eva Woode of Studio Woode, discusses the importance of biophilic design. Our regular Portfolio section showcases the award-winning Cassiobury Park in London, an elegant housing development in Barnet and, further afield, we look at a waterfront project in Stockholm.

The spotlight is on granite in our Materials section and in our Planters focus we look at a number of interesting case studies.

Special features on paving and soil for podiums round off this issue.

Here at FutureArc, we look forward to hearing all your news and if you have any interesting projects, please get in touch.

Hope you find this issue inspiring…

Gill Langham Features editor gill.langham@eljays44.com

www.futurearc.co.uk

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WELCOME

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CONTENTS NEWS

FEATURES

PORTFOLIOs

MATERIALS

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GRANITE

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PAVING

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PLANTERS

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podium topsOIL

NEWS

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landScape architect award winners

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS SPECIAL

Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport

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PODIUM AWARDS PREVIEW A preview of this year’s event

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OPINION

opinion Eva Woode on biophilic design

Pro Landscaper Business Awards

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INTERVIEW Nick Harper at Harper Landscape Architecture LLP

The latest industry news

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green living Dorchester Living’s landscape strategy

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REGENERATION The award-winning Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

Cassiobury park Rejuvenation of the former deer park in Watford by LUC

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MILLBROOK PARK BBUK greens a housing scheme in Barnet, London

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Fredriksdal Quay The striking waterfront transformation in Stockholm, Sweden by Nivå Landskapsarkitektur

The virtues of versatile natural stone by Hardscape

Meeting the demand for urban spaces by Marshalls

Focus on four contrasting urban projects

Lightweight solutions from Bourne Amenity

Romy Rawlings

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WELCOME

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38 EDITORIAL Features Editor – Gill Langham gill.langham@eljays44.com Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com PRODUCTION Subeditor – Kia Wilson kia.wilson@eljays44.com Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Design: Kara Thomas

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SALES Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Eljays44 Ltd

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MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK The 2019 subscription price for FutureArch is £125.

Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine.

We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

Cover image ©Robin Hayes

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NEWS Rochdale Council has appointed Gillespies to transform the square around the town hall as part of a £3m project. More than 60 companies expressed an interest in the grade 1 listed Town Hall Square project, with eight being shortlisted before Gillespies’ selection.

The plans will improve connections between the town hall and the grade I-listed cenotaph and memorial gardens, as well linking to other heritage and cultural

P6 News P8 Landscape Architect Award Winners P12 Podium Awards Preview P16 Opinion: Romy Rawlings

treasures in the town centre.

Proposals include the removal of the road and parking in front of the town hall as well as the creation of extensive pockets of greenery to create an outdoor space as part of a revamped public realm. The plans will encompass the whole of Town Hall Square, including the esplanade, the area behind the town hall and sections to the side. The Town Hall Square scheme is part of a major project to restore the town hall following a successful round one bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £8.9m.

Around £25m is set to be invested in heritage in Rochdale town centre over the next five years, as part of the council’s £400m regeneration programme for Rochdale town centre. The entire town hall project is due for completion in 2023. www.gillespies.co.uk

Busy start to 2019 for SNC-Lavalin’s AtkinS Atkins Landscape Architects’ newly appointed professional head of discipline for landscape architecture and urban design Simon Ward hosted a conference in Warwick.

The January event was attended by more than 60 UK-based landscape architects, urban designers and arborists.

Presentations included the company’s diverse range of regional and international projects and debates covered

the company’s digital agenda, marketing strategy and design principles. Atkins celebrates 40 years in practice this year and is planning a series of talks and other events.

Atkins’ landscape team is based across eight regional hub offices and in January, the company’s London base moved to the Nova North location in Victoria, now SNCLavalin’s European headquarters. www.atkinsglobal.com www.snclavalin.com

Public realm project at the heart of University ©Churchman Landscape Architects

Gillespies appointed to redesign Rochdale public realm

©Gillespies

NEWS

NEWS

Churchman Landscape Architects has designed a public realm project at the University of Birmingham.

Titled the Green Heart, the project covers five hectares at the centre of the university’s Edgbaston Campus. The development involved the removal of the Fifties library building and re-establishes the focus on the Twenties clocktower.

Working with lighting specialist Speirs and Major, Churchman has created an environment which can be used by the student community as a place of both study and relaxation.

The project provides a new setting for the various academic buildings including the original Aston Webb buildings, Casson Conder’s staff house, Arup Associate’s Metallurgy and Materials and Sir Philip Dowson’s Muirhead Tower.

The space is fully inclusive in terms of access and this led to the introduction of a new pedestrian bridge. Fully Wi-Fi enabled, the development features energy generating paving to recharge mobile devices.

Other plans for the site include a subterranean café designed

by Associated Architects. www.churchmanla.co.uk

www.futurearc.co.uk

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NEWS EXTRA

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AWARD WINNERS

Lauded by the judges, fabrik and Outerspace went home Pro landscaper business award winners

O fabrik limited

Outerspace

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utstanding work by landscape architect practices was highlighted in the Pro Landscaper Business Awards, held at East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf on 8 February. In this year’s awards, the decision was made to split the landscape architect category into two separate sections based on the number of employees.

This year, the award for Landscape Architect Practice with more than 20 employees (sponsored by British Sugar TOPSOIL) was won by fabrik limited, while the award for Landscape Architect Practice with less than 20 employees (sponsored by Renson) was won by Outerspace. Both awards are designed to highlight companies that can demonstrate continued good business practices, strong industry relationships and an invaluable and positive workforce.

Andrew Smith, joint managing director of fabrik limited accepted the award from Andy Spetch, national TOPSOIL manager at British Sugar TOPSOIL. In their comments for this award, the judges said: “This is a company committed to its corporate social responsibility, not just financially but with time and effort.

It has great client testimonials for some well-known blue-chip clients. fabrik has a well-structured and well implemented staff development programme, which has contributed to the steady growth of the company over the last 15 years.

This is a company that all involved should be very proud of.”

Richard Broome, managing and creative director from Outerspace, accepted the award from Bill Hayward, sales director of Renson. The judges’ commented: “This is a company that is fully aware of its responsibility to its staff, clients and the wider community. Outerspace has a well organised and structured training and development plan making sure its continual professional development programme is relevant. Outerspace is a great company with correct ethics running right through its core business.” www.fabrikuk.com www.outerspaceuk.com

www.futurearc.co.uk

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12/02/2019 16:06

INTERNATIONAL NEWS EXTRA

SINGAPORE’S JEWEL OF AN AIRPORT a mix of lush landscaping and urban energy repositions jewel changi airport as a sparkling tourist destination in singapore

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new tourist destination in Singapore featuring play attractions, shopping and gardens is due to open this year. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) offers a mix of lush nature and urban energy and features one of Singapore’s largest indoor gardens.

The development aimed to strengthen the position of the Changi Airport air hub and to position Jewel as an upcoming tourist destination in Singapore.

Featuring a distinctive glass and steel façade, the destination has five storeys above the ground as well as five subterranean levels. The centrepiece attractions in Jewel include the Forest Valley (a four-storey garden filled with thousands of trees and plants) and the 40m high Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall which will transform into a light & sound show each evening. There are four Gateway Gardens fronting the entrances and exits of Jewel and each of these will feature its own distinctive landscaping elements, such as floral balls and fern columns.

At the top level of Jewel is Canopy Park, a 14,000m2 space which will feature communal areas such as play attractions, gardens, walking trails, and dining outlets. Designed to be a world-class, lifestyle leisure attraction, Canopy Park promises a range of experiences for visitors to Jewel and travellers at Changi Airport.

Within Canopy Park, there are three main play attractions that provide an element of interactivity.

The Sky Nets attraction combines two concepts.

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Featuring a bouncing and walking net in a single play attraction, the highlight of the attraction will be the thrill of walking over a void, looking down 25m to Jewel’s level 1.

Canopy Mazes is designed for families and children, and it gives a twist to the concept of traditional mazes. Jewel’s Discovery Slides, is a 4-slides-in-1 sculptural playscape that also doubles up as a giant art sculpture.

Featuring more than 280 shops and eateries, Jewel’s offerings will wrap around the Forest Valley and Rain Vortex, providing a unique experience. Visitors will be able to traverse seamlessly between nature and retail as they step into the shopping corridors from the walking trails of the Forest Valley.

Specially-created food and beverage units with terraces overlooking the Forest Valley will offer a picturesque view, creating an idyllic garden dining experience within an indoor environment.

Owned by the Jewel Changi Airport Trust, a joint venture company formed by the Changi Airport Group (CAG) and CapitaLand Limited, Jewel is due to open in the first half of 2019. www.jewelchangiairport.com

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS EXTRA

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3 1 The new icon of Changi Airport 2 Canopy Mazes 3A erial view of Jewel Changi Airport 4 Sky Nets 5 Canopy Bridge 6J ewel Changi Airport’s magnificent Forest Valley

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NEWS EXTRA

HEADLINE SPONSOR

AWARDS For the UK’s domestic and commercial rooftop projects

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

Commercial Build

Commercial Design

Project Light Greenside Landscapes Ltd

50 St Edmunds Terrace Scape Design Associates Ltd

Nine Elms Point Ground Control Ltd

Fulham Riverside fabrik Limited

Fulham Riverside Elite Landscapes Ltd

Thames Court – Roof Terrace on the River The Garden Builders

SPONSORED BY MEDITE SMARTPLY

SPONSORED BY EVEREDGE

London Dock Elite Landscapes Ltd Podium 21, Royal Wharf Kings Landscapes University of Westminster, Harrow Campus Acacia Gardens

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Domestic Design SPONSORED BY TROVIA

Chelsea Creek Roof Terrace Aralia Landscape Architects Holland Green Place Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture

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12/02/2019 15:44

NEWS EXTRA

Winners announced at FutureScape Spring – 12 March 2019 from 12pm

Category Sponsors

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The Barbican Beech Gardens and The High Walk Nigel Dunnett Studio

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ADVERTORIAL

IT’S NOT JUST A TREE Trees as landmarks give a neighbourhood a new identity and encourage civic pride.

greenblue.com

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ADVERTORIAL HISTORIC COASTAL TOWN REGENERATION:

SANDWICH QUAY

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Set in the historic coastal town of Sandwich, Kent, this thoughtfully designed quayside regeneration project has hugely enhanced the area.

The trees have been planted in a complete ArborSystem package, which utilizing a natural porous stone tree grate blends effortlessly with the traditional cobbled surface surround.

The soil beneath the paving is protected by the use of StrataCells – preventing compaction and keeping vital, soil structure open. Twin inlet ArborVent aeration units allow the soil beneath the paving to breathe and an additional irrigation point is integrated in the tree pit surround.

Paving heave – so often associated with surface rooting trees has been designed out by use of the proven RootDirector product, so the trees in this beautiful location will continue to enhance the site without creating trip hazards for pedestrians.

The transformation, due to vital flood defense work via the Environment Agency as instructed by Dover District Council saw 5 Pyrus Calleryana Chanticleer planted in April 2014. GreenBlue contributed with underground StrataCells & RootDirectors, with above ground ArborVents, Precast ArboResin Tree Grilles and Ullswater Tree Guards.

The waterfront is a natural relaxing space for people to enjoy and in years to come will benefit from well-established leafy trees – providing shade and softening the landscape.

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The project undertaken by the then CH2M Hill Halcrow, were worthy winners for Civil & Infrastructure for “Sandwich Town Tidal Defence Scheme” at the 2014 Kent Design and Development awards.

3 1. Installation of the StrataCell tree pits.

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3. Finished installation using Precast ArboResin tree grilles.

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12/02/2019 16:17

OPINION

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With the global population growing to a projected nine billion by 2050, we must learn to share with each other - both space and resources - more equitably than today. And with 70% of us expected to be living in urban areas by 2050 (including megacities, such as London), there’s a worrying trend towards increased antagonism between people from different backgrounds. How liberal a country’s immigration policy should be is a matter of politics, and the Nordic countries clearly tend toward the more welcoming. But wherever we live, we cannot simply ignore the fact that we are living in a more diverse society than ever before.

We have to lose the concept of “us” and “them”: we must aim to value diversity and eliminate prejudice. The best way to do this is

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OPINION ROMY RAWLINGS incorporating NORDIC LIFE INto URBAN SPACES is more valuable than ever, says Romy Rawlings, UK business development manager at Vestre and chair of the Diversity & Inclusion working group at the Landscape InstitutE to let people meet: to share experiences, life stories, ideas and get to know each other. In this new urban world, we need more sense of community and belonging, not less.

So, what should our towns and cities should look like? More people sharing less space can mean taller buildings packed more closely together, with more concrete and asphalt being used. The need for green lungs, and open, sociable and accessible meeting places is pressing. It’s here that we meet people we don’t

©Vestre

already know, and safe cities are ones with people in the streets, day and night. That is what provides real comfort and security.

An important aspect of Scandinavian culture that supports this democratic approach, is the principle of allemannsretten, or right to roam.

It’s embedded in tradition and allows everyone the opportunity to experience nature: essentially you can walk or camp almost anywhere you want, even on private land. Outdoor recreation

©Vestre

©Vestre

ith the IFLA World Congress in Oslo coming up in September, I thought it would be timely and appropriate to talk about how I have a foot in both the UK and Norwegian landscaping camps.

We seem to be bombarded with positive Nordic influence in every area of our lives – from hygge (the Danish approach to being happy and snuggly, particularly in the winter months) to fika (the Swedish obsession with excellent coffee).

But is this fair – do our Nordic neighbours really have it so much better than us, even in a sector like commercial landscape design? Well, in my experience, witnessed during the time I’ve spent with my colleagues both Norwegian and Swedish, I think we could adopt some of these influences to improve our lives culturally, personally and professionally.

One key aspect that the Nordic countries are known for is their desire to be open and democratic, often embracing people from different social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The theme of this year’s IFLA World Congress - common ground – perfectly reflects this and, given the major global challenges we currently face, is extremely timely.

is a key element of Nordic national identity and protected by law. There are a few restrictions in place but essentially these simply expect people to show respect for nature, wildlife and locals: leave the landscape as you would want to find it. An important principle to consider as we find ourselves in ever increasing private ‘public realm’ here in the UK. Another key philosophy is friluftsliv, a passion for nature. The ability to see greenery, water and forests is considered vital and believed to strengthen both mental and physical abilities. We might nowadays refer to it as biophilia, and we know there is much to do to address problems associated with nature deficit disorder here in the UK. These principles are key drivers behind the design of Nordic urban spaces. There’s an opportunity to bring great design into our towns and cities through this approach that broadly incorporates all aspects of design and not simply aesthetics. Norwegian design has never been more popular, and this is put down to its honest and minimalist forms, use of natural materials and bold colour, respect for people, nature, craft and production, and the incorporation of smart solutions.

We all need places to disconnect. Spaces where we can reconnect with nature, enjoy fresh air, peace and quiet. Maybe we can embrace some of the above themes to bring people together across social, cultural and economic divides.

www.futurearc.co.uk

12/02/2019 10:39

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12/02/2019 14:50

FEATURES P18 Interview Nick Harper, Harper Landscape Architecture LLP

P23 Green Living Dorchester Living’s landscape strategy

P26 Regeneration Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

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INTERVIEW

NICK HARPER

HARPER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LLP NICK HARPER of HARPER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LLP details how HIS ROUTE THROUGH THE INDUSTRY led him to run a truly CREATIVE LANDSCAPe architecture PRACTICE

Because of the practice’s close proximity to the High Weald and the South Downs National Park, we have developed strong skills through working with clients who want to pursue projects in particularly high sensitivity heritage landscapes.

Could you tell us about the company?

We are a landscape practice which chose to set up in a creative Victorian town located in the inspiring High Weald landscape with beaches, rugged coastline and country park setting. Kate Iles and I are the two partners, and we decided on a practice that could be flexible in size and would have good access to the south east of England and to London.

We set the practice up in 2008 with a view to working collaboratively for more complex projects, or being able to shrink the team if we were to be more selective about the type of work we wanted to do and keep overheads down. The practice’s approach and design ethos comes from our symbiotic backgrounds, Kate is a box artist, I am a chartered landscape architect and we are supported by Phil Hannath a photographer, graphic designer and building contractor.

Would you consider yourselves to be specialists in a specific field?

My background of working in contemporary urban design for the first 20 years of my career and 10 years working in more varied environments – including many rural locations – means that we are set up to work in all locations and for all sectors. Having said this, we have developed specialist skills in; masterplanning, heritage landscape restoration, landscape and visual impact assessment, landscape planning (including expert witness work) as well as public realm and urban design skills.

What makes your company stand out?

With our landscape architecture, art, graphics and construction backgrounds we probably seek design inspiration from a slightly different perspective.

What are your design inspirations?

Hastings has been important for me. It is an inspiring town, surrounded by beautiful countryside and coastline. The town moves at its own pace, there is an almost weekly excuse for local community celebration.

It is a mixed community with many people working to live or pursue creative passion, and it has allowed me space to be more contemplative and creative.

Originally my childhood inspiration was an interest in sculpture, and landscape architecture seemed like an

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FEATURES 5.0 Masterplan

obvious progression at the end of school. Today I can find inspiration from reading or experiencing the lives of interesting creative characters. Frederick Olmsted and Frank Lloyd Wright both led amazing lives and helped to set up the world of modern landscape architecture.

I was particularly inspired by a visit with my stepfather to Taliesin West, an architecture school built by Frank Lloyd Wright and his students from the natural materials they found in the Sonora desert.

In more modern times the work of Tadeo Ando, James Corner, Piet Oudolf, and Thomas Heatherwick are of great interest. Also, hugely inspiring has been film. In particular, the work of Jim Jarmusch, Wim Wenders, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles. There have also been some hugely inspiring professionals I’ve had a chance to work with and I particularly enjoyed the team at Greenwich University who gave 0 me the chance to teach with them.

Could you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Lewes, surrounded by the beautiful South Downs and all its history. As a teenager, the opportunity to manipulate landscape seemed like the ultimate sculptural opportunity. So, I decided to study landscape architecture – although I had no idea it would take seven years to become fully qualified.

Lewes was a quiet, somewhat intellectual, market town in the Eighties, so I decided to go north where struggle and protest seemed to be going on – or maybe because I could go to Manchester and to the land of Factory Records, Joy Division and the Fall.

How did your career progress?

I loved my time in Manchester and got a degree in landscape design before moving to London in the late Eighties. I worked for HLM Landscape on a wide variety of public realm, housing and health work.

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I then returned to college, at Thames Polytechnic (now Greenwich University) and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture. On leaving Thames in 1990, I took a job with the 250 strong Architecture and Design Group (British Rail’s in-house design team) who gave me the rare opportunity as a junior landscape architect to manage jobs from inception to completion. From there, I went on to the London Borough of Enfield’s development team, followed by a year with the Derek Lovejoy Partnership, then on to Battle McCarthy where I worked on the Millennium Village, part of the Greenwich Peninsula’s The Dome (now O2) masterplan.

At this point I moved to Brighton and joined Chris Blandford Associates, where I worked for 10 years, learning new skills in landscape planning and working on award-winning design projects, including the Jubilee River, the Royal Botanic Gardens Site Development Plan and the Old Royal Naval College.

My last position before setting up HLA was with the landscape team at Hyder, a large-scale corporate engineering company. At the outset of setting up HLA, I also worked part-time as a teacher for the degree and masters courses in Landscape Architecture at Greenwich University. HLA has now been going for over 10 years, and hopefully will continue for many more.

harper landscape architecture Chartered Landscape Architecture Practice 110 Ashburnham Road Hastings TN35 5LJ landline 01424442842 mobile 07985732311 email nickhla@btinternet.com

What is your starting point on a project?

Recording initial feelings on first immersing myself in a site is the most important piece of information on all projects. Without remembering and retaining what the place initially feels like it is impossible to understand and assimilate a sense of

“WITH LANDSCAPE harperOUR landscape architecture ARCHITECTURE, ART, GRAPHICS AND CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUNDS WE PROBABLY SEEK DESIGN INSPIRATION FROM A SLIGHTLY ALTERED PERSPECTIVE”

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1 Sandown school masterplan 2 Algae Forest urban design concept 3 Pocket Park design Lambeth

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FEATURES

place that can inform the design vision. The physical nature of the site (including the topography, the vegetation, the structures, the sun, the wind, traffic, noise, buildings, people and ecology) can then follow. From these two sets of information I feel it is then possible to form a brief to present to a client.

Could you talk us through any current projects underway?

We currently have approximately 20 live jobs at various states of progress, these include a number of housing developments (mainly in sensitive landscapes), heritage restoration, a natural swimming pool, urban public realm, and a leisure park. We’ve just been appointed by the National Trust to carry out landscape work for Chartwell House, the former home of Winston Churchill.

We have also been developing a landscape masterplan for Plumpton College with the South Downs National Park Authority and have been collaborating with Reynolds Garden Design for new landscape design work at Dulwich College. We’re looking forward to working with Jo Thompson for a new public realm scheme in London.

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“INFORMED CLIENTS CAN SEE THAT LANDSCAPE IS NOT ONLY SENSITIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT BUT CAN INCREASE THE VALUE TO PROPERTY AND PEOPLE’S HEALTH”

Is there a project that you are particularly proud of or that you would say stands out?

The redesign and construction of the Inner Temple’s courtyards and public realm (located just off the Strand) we completed in 2016 is probably the company’s most high-profile project. There have been a number of other exciting projects including National Trust work at Bodiam Castle and Birling Gap, collaborating with local schools and colleges including the roof gardens at Greenwich University (with Allen Scott).

We have produced a number of landscape strategic documents for clients including Glyndebourne Opera House and as mentioned before, 4 Plumpton College.

Proposed trees:

Biodiverse roof:

Mixed Sedum roof:

Buffer planting to screen views to local residents

Buffer planting to screen views to local residents

Mosses/herbs/grasses:

Buffer planting to screen views to local residents

Structure planting:

Hoist

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Buffer Planting: to provide enough screening to comply with planning conditions

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Apiary

Pollen rich planting:

Void

Demonstration benches:

Void

computer-generated imagery seemed totally wrong.

However, as technology has developed, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in the digital age and now happily look forward to breakthroughs that will allow landscape architects a greater ability to realise ideas in three dimensions.

In terms of landscape construction, when I started work in the Eighties (on most occasions) the design development process was initiated by the engineer, who decided on the layout according to infrastructure demands, mainly roads and sewers. Then the architect would locate buildings, and finally a scheme was shoved at the landscape architect to add a bit of green fluff to keep the planners happy.

Now, the more informed clients demand that the landscape architect goes in first to determine a ‘big idea’ and form an understanding of sense of place and project aspirations. They also work out what landscape and visual impacts exist, any potential for water attenuation; and try to develop a strategy where roads are shared and do not dominate the landscape.

Informed clients can see that landscape is not only sensitive to the environment but can increase the value to property and people’s health.

Have you noticed any recent trends in landscape architecture?

On more recent projects water attenuation and shared surface strategies have been slowly percolating into the minds of developers. I’m sure these strategies will become basic imperatives for more projects as we gain understanding of ways to counter environmental catastrophe.

For the longer term, I think understanding the impact that bio-technology and algorithms will have is going to be important. The question is which aspects of landscape architecture will continue to need human intervention, and creative thinking is unlikely to be overrun by algorithms – although there are computers out there who will disagree!

Vertical formal planting

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Rills (Shallow depth to comply with H&S and structural loads)

Glass House

Rills

Aquaponics

Swales (Shallow depth to comply with H&S and structural loads)

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Water Bodies (Shallow depth to comply with H&S and structural loads) Void

How do you think landscape architecture has changed since you started out?

In my time the most significant shift has been from hand drawing to CAD. It was an awkward transition for me, I liked paper and pens and adapting to a new world of Proposed hard paving - Type 1:

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Proposed hard paving - Type 2:

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Exposed concrete aggregate:

Photovoltaic cells

Exposed concrete aggregate seating:

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A

Void

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Apiary:

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Photovoltaic’s:

a) weather station location

Extensive roof’s

Semi-intensive roof’s

Intensive roof’s

Note: All hardworks, balustrading, roof make-up up to below substrate level and safety requirements etc. please refer to architects drawings.

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Lighting and furniture locations t.b.c in coordination with Hparc.

What do you think are the key challenges facing the industry?

As technology progresses, landscape architects will need to decide what role they are going to play. I guess retaining a work force that can understand how to construct the built environment will be as crucial as selling a design concept.

From my experience of teaching, academia seemed to be shifting the emphasis towards the latter, where digital presentation techniques were becoming more important than understanding the nature of materials,

Outline design proposals (Rev B) - Scale 1:400 @ A3

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Stockwell Street

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University of Greenwich

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8 planting, construction techniques, hand drawing and all things tactile.

Brexit, will also bring unknown challenges – we have a dependency on building contractors from outside the UK. The current situation suggests academic collaborations with colleges across Europe and EU students will be impacted, and the EU environmental protections for ecology and landscape have not been agreed.

What advice would you give to young people looking to become landscape architects?

This question came up a lot when I taught at Greenwich University. I told students that if you have a passion for your subject then people will believe in it and you will succeed.

Landscape architecture offers the chance to learn and to specialise in so many different areas. I believe you have to grasp the rudimentary design language based upon an understanding of the palette of materials (stone, brick, concrete, plants, water, etc) you can use. How to build with these, where is it appropriate to build with these, what do they cost, how difficult are they to build with and how long will they last are all essential knowledge.

I also believe that learning how great designers have evolved philosophies in the past helps grow a student’s confidence and ability to put forward new ideas. It is also essential to know yourself and how best to present your ideas.

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9 What are the next steps for Harper Landscape Architects LLP? As a business we have to be realistic and ensure an income flows in, so we tend to take a lot of the jobs that are offered. We will continue to work with clients in highly sensitive landscapes full of heritage while also continuing to pursue ideas for the future (with a close eye on bio-technology and algorithmic shifts).

I would like the practice to develop its creative side further, and to re-find the qualities that first inspired our creative thoughts and now lead us to becoming more creative people.

It would be great to generate more time and space to pursue alternative and creative ideas to influence the way we approach our work. Perhaps we should close the office one day a week or for a month a year to pursue creative thought – I had better ask the accountant! Who knows?

10 4 Kings Bench Walk restoration 5 Greenwich University masterplan 6 College Row shared use surface 7 Inner Temple public realm 8 Dutton Homestall heritage restoration 9 Thames north bank study 10 Vauxhall shared use study

HARPER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LLP Harper Landscape Architecture LLP is a chartered practice of the Landscape Institute and was founded in 2008.

They’re a friendly and flexible practice that can respond to all projects, all sites and all budgets. To date they’ve worked with over 200 clients. They constantly seek to find high quality solutions through experience and passion.

W: harperlandscapearchitecture.co.uk

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“THE ARGUMENT FOR IMPLEMENTING BIOPHILIC DESIGN INTO OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAS NEVER BEEN SO TIMELY”

©Luxigon Courtesy of White Arkitekter

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can you BUILD WITH WOOD FOR WELLBEING? EVA WOODE explains how her exploration of timber taught her all about its uses and the world of biophilic design properties of timber and uncovering the science behind this phenomenon known as ‘biophilia’ – conceived by biologist and naturalist Edward O Wilson as the ‘innate emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms’.

Biophilic Design, an approach that aims to restore people’s connection to nature, has been proven to have a positive impact on wellness, creativity and productivity.

Studies, including one by the University of British Columbia and FPlnnovations (a Canadian forest research institute), have shown that exposure to wood surfaces can calm the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for physiological stress responses.

Wood is an excellent thermal insulator and can offer acoustic benefits, which help us to relax and concentrate, and even the smell of wood can lower heart rate and blood pressure when undertaking stressful tasks. The presence

of natural materials in hospitals has also been linked to faster patient recovery time and lower pain perception. Currently in development in Greenland, White Arkitekter’s Nuuk psychiatric clinic will be a 3,300m2 building made primarily of timber. Surrounded by stunning natural landscapes, timber was chosen for its stressreducing properties and to maximise patients’ connection to nature, to nurture emotional ©Luxigon Courtesy of White Arkitekter

OPINION EVA WOODE

story. We embarked on a journey to understand exactly how timber skyscrapers can be built safely, and how tall they can get using modern engineering and material science. Lightness, precision and speed of assembly of engineered timber makes it a perfect material for off-site manufacturing, which as a result of the housing crisis, is expected to grow in popularity.

But the benefits of timber construction go beyond sustainability and modern methods of construction. One of the most eye-opening discoveries we made when curating the exhibition was the incredible well-being

©Ella Haller Zwierzchowska

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imber Rising: Vertical Visions for the Cities of Tomorrow is an exhibition that explores the potential for using timber as a structural material in high and mid-rise buildings, as a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete. The exhibition is a collaboration between curating and communication studio Studio Woode Ltd and co-curator Clare Farrow.

Initially, we were fascinated by how a material perhaps most commonly associated with smaller or older buildings can now (thanks to modern developments in timber engineering) be a viable option for building tall. Our research eventually deepened, and we held interviews with architects as well as conversations with engineers, timber experts and also property developers.

It came to light that two ancient human narratives – building with wood and aspiring to build tall – were uniting into one, 21st century

and physical wellbeing. While research shows that there has been an overall increase in standards of living and income during the past 40 years, there has not been a corresponding rise in people’s happiness. Furthermore, workplace stress has been named as ‘the health epidemic of the 21st century’ by the World Health Organisation.

According to the European Commission, Europeans now spend 90% of the year indoors.

The argument for implementing Biophilic Design into our built environment has never been so timely. Timber could be the answer not only to more efficient and sustainable construction methods, safeguarding the health of the planet, but also improving our own health too.

Timber Rising: Vertical Visions for the Cities of Tomorrow 28 February – 25 May 2019 Roca Barcelona Gallery 213, Carrer de Joan Güell, 211, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

ABOUT EVA WOODE Eva Woode is the founder and director of Studio Woode Ltd, a curating and communications studio, specialising in design, architecture and construction with a focus on sustainability and wellbeing. She is the co-curator of the exhibition Timber Rising: Vertical Visions for the Cities of Tomorrow, first commissioned by Roca for the Roca London Gallery. The exhibition runs until 25 May 2019 at Roca Barcelona Gallery.

W: www.studiowoode.com

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GREEN LIVING being Forward thinking and sensitive to community needs is key to dorchester living's landscape strategy

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avin Angell of Dorchester Living has no doubt: it’s never too soon for developers to start planning their green space. “I don’t think most companies, including ourselves, think about it in detail early enough. Setting down the bare bones earlier on in the scheme could really help everyone, even if at a later stage you tweak it. I think it should be a strategy in the outline – that way you set it all out on

“IT’S NEVER TOO SOON FOR DEVELOPERS TO START PLANNING THEIR GREEN SPACE” the table. It’s a worthwhile exercise because it forces people to think about it.”

At Dorchester Living, Gavin says, “we now are on it. We needed to sit down – and we have done so – and say: “Right, what do we want this space to look

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like when you walk back here in 20 years’ time?

What do we want the road to look like? What do you want the pavement to look like? Do you want there to be some kind of theme to the planting, or do you want variation and variety?”

Today, Dorchester Living has a threepronged approach to landscaping that centres on preserving any existing green infrastructure, installing a verdant hub where people can gather, socialise or relax, and building play spaces for children.

While it may not always be possible, retaining trees and plants that are already on site brings massive benefits to a development, according to Gavin, because it creates a sense of space and location.

“I think people ultimately remember trees. They give height and maturity, and create all sorts of things, such as character,

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that we are permanently challenged on as new

Gavin Angell www.futurearc.co.uk

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“IT’S IMPORTANT TO DESIGN THE CENTRE OF YOUR TOWN, VILLAGE OR AREA TO HAVE A COMBINATION OF LEISURE, RETAIL AND GREEN SPACE–SO YOU HAVE AN INVITING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE TO COME”

1T he sun sets over Heyford Park 2H omes on The Square 3G reen space and houses in Heyford's The Gardens collection 4O pen-air cinema on the village green 5A n aerial view of the development

build developers. It’s a very cheap way of creating fantastic green infrastructure.”

From a practical viewpoint, this means treating any existing plants as the backbone around which you build your scheme. For example, at Heyford Park – Dorchester Living’s regeneration of a former American Air Force base, which will eventually see some 2,800 homes built on a 1,230-acre site in the Oxfordshire countryside – the company found plenty of non-native species already in place. So, although Gavin tends to prefer native plants, he went for a scheme that preserved the original trees and added a wide mix of indigenous and imported species. “We have got mainly native hedgerows, but that doesn’t stop us putting in some alternative species, such as acers and Scots pine, that allow feature trees to happen. It’s a matter of starting with your base line and making the best of that.”

For landscaping to be really successful, however, a collection of separate “bits and pieces” of greenery, no matter how majestic, is not enough, according to Gavin; you also need a large expanse where people can meet and spend time – hence Dorchester Living’s preference for creating the equivalent of a village green or a garden square.

“It’s important to design the centre of your town, village or area to have a combination of leisure, retail and green space – so you have an inviting environment for everyone to enjoy.”

Gavin often turns to the Yorkshire city of Harrogate, where he used to live, as a source of inspiration: “There are some fantastic green spaces there that combine being really close to the retail area and yet having the ability to spill out and relax.

London squares also work very well.”

Alongside these landscaped hubs, Gavin also likes to group together green areas to create eco-

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friendly corridors. For example, if a site has a sensitive boundary with high-level trees, “then we’ll widen that up a bit and get in additional planting to allow that to become an ecological corridor to link up different parts of the site.” This strategy is as good for the environment as for residents’ wellbeing – because the corridors can often double up as walking or cycling routes: “It’s very easy on new-build estates, with their obligations of transport and roads that are so prescriptively laid out, to start to feel very road-friendly, when in fact they are just road-compliant. What’s difficult is to try to make them feel walking- and cycling-friendly, so we try to use green infrastructure and integrate with those key walking and cycling routes.”

2 The third cornerstone of Dorchester's green-space strategy is to create play areas, which are crucial to the many families that make up a good chunk of newbuild buyers. The company tends to choose solutions that mix soft and hard play equipment, and open and enclosed spaces. However, notes Gavin, play spaces can be surprisingly challenging to incorporate into a scheme “because different people are at different stages of their lives, and not everyone wants to live next door to a play area.” That’s where good landscaping can really make a difference. “We use careful design to try and buffer play areas – particularly larger ones with big bits of equipment. If you can combine those with green space, I think it works better for planning, but also helps shelter residents who are not necessarily all going to have kids.”

Balancing the needs of different residents also calls for versatile designs that lend themselves to multiple uses. “From an operational point of view, you are better off combining as many uses as possible. It not only keeps the costs down in the longer term for the residents but also delivers a much better environment.”

Gavin admits that scale helps to deliver this kind of interesting, flexible spaces but not everyone has 1,200 acres to play with. “One of the advantages of working on larger schemes is that it gives you the opportunity to put forward exciting bits of green infrastructure. If you

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have plenty of green infrastructure and nice green spaces, and not necessarily high density, then you are able to integrate into the environment much more easily. The constant challenge we have is to build beautiful places where people want to come back to – not cram 500 units with no room for a tree or a play park, which is not a great environment to live in.”

Ultimately, however, designing robust, versatile schemes boils down to being creative and listening to people. For example, Gavin continues, “we worked very closely with the parishes around Heyford to help them set up a neighbourhood plan and for us, it has been really helpful in terms of understanding the needs and the wants not just of our immediate residents but of those further afield.”

Dorchester Living very much see themselves as providing facilities and open space for the entire community. Heyford, for example, will have a 25-hectare park and, says Gavin, “we are not expecting that to be just for residents, we are expecting that to have a wider draw.” This approach makes for a better development that genuinely adds value, and notes Gavin, is also a way to ensure you meet the requirements of your future buyers.

“For a developer, it’s very difficult to understand who your purchasers are before they have bought [on site]. But we know, generally, that they tend to live in a 10-mile radius from where we are building – they already live or work in the area, they know it, or maybe their kids go to school there. So, the market feedback we can get and the desires [of the wider community] are very helpful.”

Heyford is a case in point. “Part of my job as a developer is to understand the constraints on the land that we own and then try to maximise the opportunities,” Gavin explains. “Our Heyford site is a conservation area, it’s got scheduled monuments in it and has various different layers of history. That means there are parts of the site that are very sensitive.”

Initially, Dorchester Living conceived the space as either a specialist ecology or a heritage park, but it soon became clear that residents were keen to walk their dogs there. “So, we worked a bit harder with the ecologists, we worked a bit harder with the heritage people and we came to the conclusion that this is a really big park and, yes, there may be times of the year when we have to prioritise ground-nesting birds, but there are sections where people can walk dogs.”

But, Gavin adds, it’s also important to leave room for new uses to develop. “I don’t like to be too prescriptive: I think [the uses] will grow as the population grows. The input of consultants and,

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4 often, the local authority plays a vital role in helping Dorchester Living refine and deliver their greenspace vision. For example, says Gavin, “we have had three or four tree officers from the council, and they had a slightly different view on how you should select trees – what is sacrosanct, what’s not, what your replacement strategy is, do they want block woodland, big specimen trees or a number of smaller trees. So sometimes, that interaction, not only with our own consultants, but also with the local authority, can make us think again.”

When it comes to selecting people to work with, the company usually runs a bidding process.

“We’ll go to three or four consultants whom we think are appropriate, either because of their local connections, because we worked with them in the past or because we have seen some of their work that we particularly like.” They are always open to new people, although, concedes Gavin, “it’s always a tricky one. I believe [our contractors] ought to be refreshed every few years but it’s quite a difficult thing to do because you end up forming personal relationships and because, if people do a good job, you don’t want to get rid of them. At the same time, it’s very easy to become complacent: ‘Let’s just do what we did last time, we know what our planting scheme is we know what our house style is, let’s just run that out.’

But actually it would be better for us to say: ‘Let’s take a step back, let’s pitch this next piece of work and see if we get some interesting ideas in.’ Every time we get a new one in, it has refreshed us a bit.”

“RETAINING TREES AND PLANTS THAT ARE ALREADY ON SITE BRINGS MASSIVE BENEFITS TO A DEVELOPMENT”

DORCHESTER LIVING Established in 2102, Dorchester Living is the development arm of the Dorchester Group and is committed to creating high-quality bespoke schemes particularly through the regeneration of brownfield sites.

W: www.dorchestergrp.com/ dorchester-living

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A WINNING LEGACY An Olympic legacy project in Sheffield SHOWS how a landscape-led development can have a transformative effect on the wider regeneration of a city

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Ben Handley, technical director at Ares Landscape Architects

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heffield Olympic Legacy Park is a London 2012 Olympic legacy project for sport, health and wellbeing, research and learning. The four legacy themes from London 2012 are sport, local community, environment and economic regeneration and they are all being delivered in the project.

Designed by Ares Landscape Architects and procured by Sheffield City Council, via Legacy Park Limited, the landscape work was completed by a Sheffield-based project team including Henry Boot Construction, Turner & Townsend and Arup.

The landscape at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park received national recognition, winning the prestigious Landscape Architecture of the Year category at the 2018 AJ Architecture Awards.

Beating off competition from high-profile projects, including Sky TV’s Campus, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park impressed the judges with its landscapeled approach to regeneration. The design of the

development was also praised for its connectivity and slot-in infrastructure.

Speaking about the project, Ben Handley, technical director at Ares Landscape Architects, says: “Realising a project of this scale and ambition has required collaboration from the start. The original masterplan for the park was established by Bond Bryan Architects working with Legacy Park Ltd. Creating a place that promotes health and wellbeing was a key requirement of the masterplan.

“We saw an opportunity with the landscape architecture to meet this requirement by making a new park for the city, a park which reflects some of the most recognisable and well-loved characteristics of Sheffield’s landscape – hills, woods and water.

“Access to high quality green space for the local community is a fundamental part of what has been achieved, along with ensuring the continuation of elite sport. In addition, we’ve prioritised green spaces, access to waterways, run routes and cycle

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paths to further regenerate this area of the city. It’s quite a responsive plan. What makes the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park so successful is that it’s very connected to its locality - you have to be flexible to see who’s interested in coming onto the park. It’s evolving as people are using it and that evolution feels like the approach-way to masterplanning.”

“CREATING A PLACE THAT PROMOTES HEALTH AND WELLBEING WAS A KEY REQUIREMENT OF THE MASTERPLAN” 4

History Following the demolition of the Don Valley Athletics Stadium in 2013 the site owned by Sheffield City Council, was identified by the ex-sport minister and local MP, Richard Caborn, as an opportunity to develop a Sheffield Sports Hub. In 2015 Legacy Park Ltd was created, a partnership between Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Hallam University, to create a centre of excellence for sport, health and wellbeing research.

Ares Landscape Architects was appointed to assist Bond Bryan Architects with the outline masterplan and then develop the landscape design. The principle

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Blue Loop Map Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

Tinsley Meadows Primary Academy

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Sheffield Olympic Oasis Legacy Park Academy Don Valley

High Hazels Academy

Arena / Olympic Legacy Park Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

©Park River Stewardship Company / Friends of the Blue Loop

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was to provide landscape infrastructure for inter-related existing, under construction and planned developments.

Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park landscape is the setting for a number of developments: Oasis Academy Don Valley; UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park; the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre; a Basketball Arena; community stadium and sports venue, offices, laboratories and hotel.

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“WHAT MAKES THE SHEFFIELD OLYMPIC LEGACY PARK SO SUCCESSFUL IS THAT IT’S VERY CONNECTED TO ITS LOCALITY”

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Project background Once outline planning permission for the masterplan was secured, Ares embarked on the detailed design and delivery of the landscape infrastructure. The brief was to develop the design for a coordinated utilities and landscape design that provided services, car parking and safe routes through the site. The design of the project was to reflect the sport, health, wellbeing and quality principles of the buildings and its surrounds.

Specific objectives included the creation of a quality, yet affordable landscape design for the park and the development of a place that is safe and secure for all users and visitors.

The masterplan The masterplan for the park weaves together the themes of elite sport, health and wellness, inward investment for the city and community while making the most of the site’s dramatic topography and location next to the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and the proximity to the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, iceSheffield and FlyDSA Arena.

The site is situated within the Don Valley around 1.5 miles from Sheffield city centre along the canal.

Consultations with Legacy Park Ltd led to discussion about how to make the park a catalyst to improving connectivity in the wider area specifically strategic Green Route Network on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and the local cycle network.

The park will contribute to the existing sports and cultural institutions and venues already present.

Landscape is the unifying element between existing and proposed 7 development creating one

6 park that incorporates Don Valley Bowl and the former Flame Hill area.

There is a corridor of well-established vegetation that follows the line of the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal and the Supertram along the eastern boundary of the site. It provides a well wooded backdrop to the new development with opportunities for nature and improvements within the ecology of the location.

Public realm for sport and wellbeing The masterplan creates a network of walking, running and cycle routes with opportunity for outdoor exercise for all, ranging from athletes in training or the local community using the run routes or walking their dog.

When all development is complete the park will be home to Sheffield Eagles Rugby League, Sheffield Sharks Basketball, Sheffield United Women Football, Sheffield Steelers Ice Hockey as well as the elite training bases for several British Olympic and Paralympic programmes in the English Institute of Sport Sheffield.

The park has a rich history and the masterplan and landscape design solutions seek to reveal this through a layering of the history from the steel works through to international athletics venues and beyond to community park and educational campus.

Speaking about Ares Landscape Architects’ involvement with the development, David Hobson of Legacy Park Ltd, says: “Their team has been very responsive and listened to our vision – they have always developed the solutions collaboratively and ‘gone the extra mile. The landscape is still new but from visitors and potential investors they are excited to be part of the renaissance of this part of the city and the new space.”

Landscape detail The landscape of Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park has been carefully considered to reinforce a distinctive

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sense of place. Ben at Ares says: “It’s a robust design that’s built to last and it’s of a scale - it’s not fussy.

“The development has got two parts to it – one part of the site is more urban and provides the setting where we want businesses to locate and then as you go towards the water it becomes more of a park environment. Both those character areas are tied together, there’s a unity in the landscape treatment.”

Explaining how Ares approached the landscape treatment at the site, Ben explains: “In Sheffield there are some characteristics of landscape that are really recognisable, hills, woods and water. With seven hills, five rivers and a well-established wooded corridor along the canal, the city has got a really dramatic topography – so for me it was to accentuate those characteristics.”

The choice of material is also influenced by its context. There is a recognisable vernacular in Sheffield of buildings that are predominantly red brick but with generous sandstone decorative elements to doors, windows, corners and pediments, these give relief and depth to facades and convey a feeling of pleasing solidity and are a reoccurring motif throughout the city.

At Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park the new buildings are contemporary red brick, so sandstone was selected for the walls and steps within the landscape. The sandstone of the landscape and the redbrick of the building are read together to evoke the recognisable character of the city in a slightly abstracted way.

The shape and pattern used for the tops of the walls is suggestive of pouring molten steel, picking up on the site’s history as the location for Brown Bayley steel works. The shape and patterns work to define seating and deter skating. There is still a strong manufacturing and metal working industry in the city

and all the handrails and metal work for the landscape was made by Sheffield-based Dio-Met Fabrications whose premises overlook the park.

Ben also explained how important it was to the team that the landforms were crisply sculpted. This was achieved by creating a 3D model and working with landscape contractors Killingley, who used computer-guided diggers.

Planting Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is on the site of the former Don Valley Athletics Stadium which was built for the World Student Games in 1991. At the opening of the games the cauldron for the flame lighting ceremony sat on ‘Flame Hill’ overlooking the stadium until its demolition in 2013. The cauldron is the only part of the stadium to be retained and inspired the planting throughout the park. Working with local artist, David Appleyard, the cauldron has been shot blasted and treated with salt water and vinegar to enhance its colour as dark orange weathered steel.

Planting colours have been chosen to evoke flames with shades of reds, oranges and yellows, while drifts of grass suggest the movement of fire.

While the grey and blue of the ornamental thistles represent smoke. More than 100 semi-mature trees have been planted on the park as part of the works.

Site evolution On the site’s development, Ben explains: “The Legacy Park has changed dramatically over time, and there are some exciting proposals for future development on the site. I like to think that landscape played a big part in the interest that the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is now generating. On a project like this you feel as a landscape architect you’ve made a difference.”

“THE LANDSCAPE IS STILL NEW BUT FROM VISITORS AND POTENTIAL INVESTORS THEY ARE EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE RENAISSANCE OF THIS PART OF THE CITY AND THE NEW SPACE” 1 2 3 4 5 6

print track rain gardens ©Dean Atkins S P erennial planting ©Dean Atkins R unning on Flame Hill ©Dean Atkins S tone steps ©Dean Atkins T he Boulevard ©Dean Atkins Pupils from Don Valley Oasis Academy ©Dean Atkins 7 Brown Bayley Steel Works/ Don Valley Stadium/Olympic Legacy Park

SHEFFIELD OLYMPIC LEGACY PARK W: www.sheffieldolympiclegacypark.co.uk

Ares Ares Landscape Architects is a design practice with a passion for delivering design solutions which are imaginative, sustainable and robust. From offices in Sheffield, London and Cheltenham, the company provide a comprehensive range of landscape consultancy services throughout the UK. W: www.ares.eu.com

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PORTFOLIOS P30 Cassiobury Park LUC

P34 Millbrook Park BBUK

P38 Fredriksdal Quay Nivå Landskapsarkitektur

CASSIOBURY WATFORD PARK LUC

Project Cassiobury Park Client Watford Borough Council Landscape architect: LUC Architect Knox Bhavan Architects, Rees Bolter Architects Quantity surveyor Heritage Cost Consultants Capital works budget £5.4m Timescale 2012-2017 Awards 2018 Landscape Institute award winner (Heritage and Conservation)

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PORTFOLIO

1 1 Reinstated Grade II listed Hill and Smith bandstand 2 A n accessible space for all the community 3 LUC designed the planting across the scheme All photographs ©LUC

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he sensitive £5m restoration of Cassiobury Park has transformed the 450-year-old Deer Park in Watford.

A Heritage Lottery funded scheme, the development aimed to restore a multi-layered landscape rich in history which has been central to the fabric of Watford dating back to the 17th century.

The culmination of four years’ design work and construction management by lead consultant LUC, the project has won multiple awards including a 2018 Landscape Institute Award in the Heritage & Conservation category.

Cassiobury Park is an amalgam of former deer park, 18th and 19th century parkland, the 20th century ‘People’s Park’ overlay with a model railway, art deco styled tearooms and water play facilities.

Over time, aspects of the park’s heritage had become lost and it had suffered considerable wear and tear due to its popularity. Recognising this, the council backed a project to regenerate the park, developing Lottery fund proposals with LUC. The project involved the restoration of surviving historic features such as the

monumental Lime Avenue, carriage drives and estate watermill ruins. It also recreated iconic features of the beautiful park. This included the Rustic Bridge and classic key aspects of the ‘People’s Park’ – the tea pavilion and garden, the bandstand, refurbishing the popular water play area and adding a contemporary park hub building.

Speaking about the project, Alex Massey, associate landscape architect at LUC, says: “Cassiobury Park has been re-born as the ‘People’s Park’, with its picturesque parkland landscape celebrated and hidden heritage uncovered for all to understand and enjoy.

“It is now cherished as one of Britain’s 10 most popular parks, offering something for people of all ages and abilities, from quiet relaxation and interaction with nature, to opportunities to learn, be part of the local community, play and be active.”

Originally a deer park of monastic origin, Cassiobury Park was the ancestral seat of the Capels (Earls of Essex) from 1628 to 1922. By its 19th century heyday, it had evolved into an extensive and highly fashionable landed estate, touched by a diverse array of designers over the preceding two centuries including Moses

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Cook, Charles Bridgeman, James Wyatt and Humphry Repton.

A period of decline followed the deterioration of the family’s finances from the later 19th century, and from 1908 the estate began to be broken up and sold. The council began purchasing large parts of the deer park from 1909 to create what was to become a highly popular ‘People’s Park’ for the town. Today, Cassiobury Park is a fascinating cross of of former deer park, parkland and ‘People’s Park’ overlay.

Heritage Lottery funding was secured to restore and reveal the park’s hidden heritage, creating a renewed landscape fit for the modern day. Restored elements include the remains of the estate watermill site, dating from around 1900, and Swiss Cottage, dating from around 1800. There’s also Bridgeman Lime Avenue, and the restoration and reinstatement of the Grade II listed Hill and Smith bandstand to its original location. Paving to reference the surviving foundations of the original park (Gate Lodge) were added.

The park was originally designed by Humphry Repton and James Wyatt in 1802, but was

5 demolished in 1970 to facilitate for the expansion of the nearby Rickmansworth Road. Interpretation material was developed alongside each element of Cassiobury, forming a heritage trail to tell the story of the park.

Re-imagined for modern users, the ‘People’s Park’ features a new multi-purpose hub building (including café, park-office, changing rooms, and education/exhibition space) positioned in the landscape to complement the redesigned paddling pools. The reinstated bandstand now enjoys a programme of free events and the restored 1925 tea house and garden provide improved seating and new play facilities for younger children.

8 4 The restored bandstand now enjoys a programme of free events 5 Hugely popular refurbished water play area 6 Multi-purpose contemporary hub building 7 Redesigned paddling pools are a magnet for children 8 Restored historic features and new ‘heritage trail’ interpretation material All photographs ©LUC

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LUC is a planning, impact assessment, landscape design and ecology consultancy with expertise across a broad cross-section of environmental disciplines.

W: www.landuse.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

Client Countryside Annington Size of project 2.1 ha Build time 5 years

MILLBROOK PARK BARNET, LONDON

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housing scheme of 133 new homes and a park in Mill Hill, in the London Borough of Barnet, features podium courtyard gardens and a residential square with a large rain garden.

Designed by London architects TateHindle for developers Countryside Annington, the housing is arranged as a series of stepped landscaped courtyard blocks with a new park to the east of the site, and a landscaped residential circus in the centre surrounded by townhouses.

There is a level change of approximately 13m across the site from north-west to south-east.

Podium courtyard gardens over car parking are provided for residents with generous lawns, plantings of shrubs, perennials and multi-stem Amelanchier trees.

A strong plan layout was designed as the gardens would be overlooked by the surrounding apartments and housing.

All planting is contained within Corten steel edging and each area has been designed to have a section that is

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1 Mill Hill Park 2 Planting 3 Southern view of pedestrian and cycle link 4 Northern view of pedestrian and cycle link

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flush with the paving. This is so that all the lawns are fully accessible, rising to higher areas and providing deeper soil for shrub and tree planting. Sculptural play has been placed in these spaces for younger children.

Sustainable urban drainage is incorporated throughout. A residential square featuring a large rain garden, which collects all the run off from the surrounding footpaths, is located at the centre of the site. The rain garden is planted with species that attract wildlife, designed to give good seasonal variety throughout the year. A castellated kerb protects the planting and lets the water flow into the rain gardens freely.

A key north-south route runs along the western edge of the development site, with limited vehicular access.

This is the main pedestrian path to and from Mill Hill East station for this and other parcels in Millbrook Park.

It was important that this route was fully accessible, so a ramped stair was built at the bottom of the street with shallow steps and a gently graded path. Small, low-key play equipment is placed along the north-south route through the site to encourage families to walk rather than use their cars.

The park’s play area is designed around the site’s steep topography, with ropes and slides embedded into the contours of the hill. This is sited in the centre of the park where several paths converge, opening into a small hard paved area with seating set under trees. The play area is enclosed with a mixed Cornus hedge and surrounded with spring flowering bulbs.

The southern end of the park with steeper gradients incorporates a grand staircase that provides east to west access across the site. This is set into planted, terraced banks with informal seating adjoining the retaining walls on the stair platforms. Planting has been designed to provide flowers, berries and colourful foliage throughout the year.

BBUK worked on the project from inception through to completion, preparing the planning application, detailing the soft and hard works and then inspecting works on site. The project was delayed when the first contractor went bankrupt.

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BBUK Led by Harriet Bourne, BBUK is an award-winning landscape practice established in January 2002. From inception the practice has taken on a wide range of projects, including streetscape design guidance, public parks and open spaces as well as private gardens for individual and commercial clients.

W: www.bbukstudio.com

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FUTUREARC-HalfPage-FINAL.pdf 1 2019-01-30 5:05:37 PM

A unique, patented system of interlocking timber blocks that can be used to design and create almost any external structure

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INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

FREDRIKSDAL QUAY STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN Nivå Landskapsarkitektur

1 View towards east, across the square and the sun deck along the Hammarby canal and lock, seen from the Skans Bridge. ©Robin Hayes 2 The pier forms a terraced seating area of pine wood and cast concrete platforms ©Robin Hayes 3 From the swings you can overlook the canal and the Hammarby lake ©Robin Hayes 4 The design of the large-scale swings is inspired by the Skans Bridge’s old concrete vaults. ©Robin Hayes

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INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

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he Fredriksdal Quay (Fredriksdalskajen) has been developed from an old industrial harbour to a recreational public space; a public realm area featuring seating, swings, planting and a pier.

The area is designed as a local meeting point along the Stockholm waterfront. The design of the quayside was based on three main principles. Firstly, the idea was to create a public space where existing industrial operations combine with recreation and leisure.

Secondly, the project’s aim was to offer an attractive place to stay, despite the north-facing location and exposure to lakeshore winds. Finally, it was designed as a catalyst for activities that suit many target groups on a water-facing plaza with a non-commercial focus.

Location and function The quay is located at Hammarby Lake in Stockholm, adjacent to one of the city’s main infrastructural veins connecting Stockholm’s southern suburbs with the central island of Södermalm.

The quayside project is one of the last phases of a major urban development project, Hammarby Sjöstad, which has been steadily evolving in southern Stockholm since the late Nineties. The site is now part of a continuous stretch along the water, from Liljeholmskajen in the west to Hammarby Sjöstad in the east, and further on to Sickla Lock.

The Fredriksdal quay is north-facing, but thanks to the long wooden pier in the north-east, the area’s most

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3 sunlit location can be used for sun-bathing, picnics and other outdoor activities.

Prior to planning the project, a solar study was carried out, revealing that a major part of the quayside would be shaded by new high-rise buildings further along the quay. The design team then came up with the idea of using the already existing pier structure that steers boats into Hammarby lock to build a large, sun-exposed deck. In this way, the site could offer visitors a new sunbathing spot overlooking the water.

Towards the lock and the eastern views of Hammarby Lake, one can face the water and watch the passing of ships and boats from a series of long wooden benches.

In the west, a generous plaza has been formed. Large American Ash trees are scattered across the square to provide shelter and greenery. Two large-scale swings offer activity and movement for both children and adults.

The two swings act as a focal point and centrepiece on the square, from which swinging visitors have a view of Hammarby Lake, across the sun deck and the canal. Behind the swings a steep vegetation slope rises towards the Skans Bridge, forming a green backdrop in the west-facing sightlines along the quayside. In addition to an existing

Project name Fredriksdal Quay Location Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden Landscape architect Nivå Landskapsarkitektur Lighting Sweco Client Stockholms stad Contractor Skanska Construction cost 62m SEK (£5.2m) Area 12,000m2 Design year 2008-2017 Build time 2017-2018

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stairway, a public elevator will be added to connect the quay and the Skans Bridge in the future.

The site has a long history as an industrial harbour, and some of the old port activities remain even after the redevelopment project. The site is designed so that pedestrians and bicyclists can co-exist with the new group of recreational visitors on the site, as well as car users and port operators.

Material and design The industrial character is the foundation for the design of the quayside and square. The functions needed on the site are solved using products derived from ports and industrial environments, but further developed for the site. The colours yellow, white and grey that are often found on ships and harbour environments dominate the design.

The quay is characterised by large concrete slabs, bright yellow seating inspired by traditional mooring bollards, and white fencing. The railings are made from expanded metal which creates a transparent connection between the square and Hammarby lake.

The arc shape as a recurring form is derived from the two concrete arches of the nearby Skans Bridge’s dating back to the Twenties. In the western view, they interact with the white metal arches of the swings, the semicircular smooth concrete slabs on the wooden pier and the ramp’s arched landing.

5 5 Boats pass through the lock right next to the square, connecting the inland sea and the city lake ”Mälaren” ©Robin Hayes 6 The sun deck on a hot summer day. ©Nivå Landskapsarkitektur 7 The swings quickly became popular among the neighborhood’s children and bypassers ©Robin Hayes

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Nivå is a Stockholm-based landscape architecture company founded in 2000. Their specialisation is the urban public space, and their projects range from parks, squares and streets to large city plans. Their work is site-specific and always begins with local conditions, aiming to make a poetic and playful contribution to a broader spatial tradition within landscape architecture.

W: www.nivaland.se

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12/02/2019 15:56

MATERIALS P42 Granite Hardscape outlines the benefits of this natural stone

MATERIAL FOCUS

GRANITE

Materials supplier HARDSCAPE explains why granite is a go-to choice for so many landscapers, and how it was used in the renovation of accrington town hall

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highly durable natural stone that is suitable for almost any kind of external application, granite is always a popular choice.

Available in a variety of colours and textures, granite can be used to complement a wide range of schemes. Materials supplier Hardscape work with a large range of textures, colours, formats and blends of different types of granite, offering an expert take on why granite is so utile and flexible.

It’s a coarse-grained igneous rock containing a blend of accessory minerals that give it a unique colour. Everything from black to white granite

KEY FACTS • A coarse-grained igneous rock containing a blend of accessory minerals that gives it a unique colour • Everything from black to white granite (and every shade in between) can be sourced (and every shade in between) can be sourced. Some of the supplied stone is European, but some also originates from China and India.

MAIN BENEFITS • A highly durable and popular natural stone • Available in a huge variety of colours and textures • Suitable for almost any kind of external application • Economic benefits – long lasting and easy to maintain

P45 Paving How Marshalls meet new paving demands

P47 Planters Focus on four eye-catching projects

P50 Podium topsoil Lightweight solutions from Bourne Amenity

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GRANITE

CASE STUDY ACCRINGTON TOWN HALL

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celebrated Accrington’s Town and Market Halls.

Landscape architect IBI Group was appointed to transform the horizontal space, with the help of stone specialists Hardscape, designers Smiling Wolf and paving contractors NMS. The aim was to create a space to further boost economic regeneration in the town centre with the square acting as a social focal point.

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Project name Accrington Public Realm Client Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council Landscape Architect IBI Group, Manchester Designers Smiling Wolf, Liverpool Contractor NMS, Ashton-in-Makerfield Paving, benches and Artscape materials supplier Hardscape Timber supplier (benches) Logic

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striking £1.5m project in Accrington, Lancashire, featuring granite benches has transformed the town’s public realm.

The project brief brought together several collaborators to fulfil the vision of Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council and was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The councils set out with the aim of creating a civic space for events that

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Seating To complete the scheme and create an open, accessible space for public events, six bespoke Kobra granite benches with specialised artwork were created and installed outside Accrington Town Hall.

The designs recount Accrington’s rich and proud history, paying a special tribute to the Accrington Pals, Accrington Stanley FC and the area’s role in the Industrial Revolution.

A battalion brought together as part of Kitchener’s Army, the Accrington Pals served bravely in battles in Egypt and more famously in the Battle of the Somme, which took place in France in 1916. Sadly, most of the battalion lost their lives fighting courageously on the first day of the Somme. Now, the local community can come together to remember the soldiers in the newly designed landscaped town square.

The updated site features six duckboard benches made from horizontal pieces of timber, supplied by Logic Street Furniture, representing the duckboards on the bottom of a trench. The benches are placed in a band of granite setts running around the edge of the town square, representing a traditional kerb and an interpretation of the two connected trench lines relating to the Battle of the Somme.

For the project, Hardscape supplied seating made of sandblasted/laser etched black granite, with bespoke timber seats and featuring a galvanised steel frame.

Paving Kobra granite setts were also supplied by the company to complement the sawn Whitworth sandstone paving.

These were laid in alternating lines, one with cropped setts, and one with flamed setts, for added effect.

HARDSCAPE One of the UK’s major landscape material suppliers, the company helps to inspire and create visionary urban spaces.

W: www.hardscape.co.uk

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MATERIALS

PAVING

THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF URBAN SPACES

A surge in urban spaces has led to a change in landscaping needs and here, Chris Griffiths, SuDS marketing development manager at Marshalls, explains how the company is adapting its portfolio to meet new paving trends

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n a major study by Marshalls into how our shared spaces will change and evolve over the coming decade one dominant theme emerged – the unstoppable rise of urban spaces.

The results of the commissioned study, titled ‘Future Spaces’, led the company to re‐examine

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how its paving portfolio could be adapted to cater for this trend.

Future Spaces was a huge project. The team read more than 230 articles, watched 30 hours of video, read six books and conducted (and transcribed) more than 20 hours of interviews.

The resulting report brought together the latest thinking from the worlds of architecture, planning, design, tech and materials to create a glimpse into the cities of the future.

Four major trends, which are already shaping the way we develop, emerged.

Firstly, sustainability is now mainstream; terms such as ‘eco’ or ‘green’ sound outdated now

as we’ve shifted to a more responsible mindset.

Global demographics are shifting massively too, as people live longer, healthier lives. We can also see that smart technology is already shaping the way communities operate, using connectivity and data to enhance our environments and keep us safe.

However, the trend that really made the Marshalls team sit up and take notice was the unstoppable rise of urban spaces. It’s already clear that young people are moving to cities in their droves, living in ways that would be alien to their grandparents; living in increasingly smaller spaces shared with increasing volumes of neighbours.

The clearest indicator of this movement is evident in the ever‐changing silhouettes of cityscapes. As city centre land becomes scarcer and more expensive, the only way to build is up and the recent explosion in highrise dwellings is impossible to ignore.

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For Marshalls, a company which has built its solid foundations on supplying driveways and patios to householders in suburban towns across the country, this change in living styles created an interesting opportunity. Its customers of the future are unlikely to own their own gardens, drives or patios – but they’re likely to have access to elevated roof decks or balconies. And precisely due to their diminutive size, these spaces will be as valued by their users equally as much as their grandparents value their gardens.

The challenge, then, was to look up instead of out.

Marshalls had to find ways to make its paving portfolio relevant to residential customers living in flats, and to its commercial customers who would increasingly be operating their businesses from roofs and balconies.

The paving units themselves were still suitable for these applications – but the way they were installed wasn’t.

Based on years of experience, traditional paving design has been engineered to support increasingly heavy loads moving at increasingly high speeds.

Traditional pavement installation requires sub‐bases consisting of sand, mortar and aggregates, all of which are cumbersome and heavy to transport, and permanent once installed. Roof decks and balconies have completely different requirements. They’re unlikely to receive any vehicular traffic at all – and any they do receive will be light.

The other factor to consider is the increasingly transient nature of residents and tenants; city dwellers tend to rent rather than buy, staying in one place for short periods of time. Would it be possible to develop an installation system that would allow external paving to be changed as easily and frequently as, for example, laminate flooring or wallpaper?

Marshalls’ range of pedestals addresses these questions. The company’s collection of adjustable plastic support posts replaces the traditional sub‐ base to provide a robust, clean, easy‐to‐install paving system. The pedestals create a ‘floating floor’ design; the void below the paving is ideal for hiding services, insulation and waterproofing, leaving the area clutter free.

In addition, because no jointing is required, specially formed gaps between the paving units allow water to flow freely through the surface into the void below, creating a clean surface that’s free of standing water.

The installed system is simple to uplift for access services or for easy replacement. Crucially though, pedestals are light, adjustable and easy to install, making them ideal for contractors who have to work in tight spaces on high rise buildings.

Pedestals allow Marshalls’ range of concrete, natural stone or new vitrified paving to expand into new areas of evolving landscapes. As well as making specification for new builds straightforward, this kind of innovation gives creative designers the opportunity to breathe life into areas of cities that have been previously underused or untouched.

As Lord Richard Rogers said as far back as 2004, “London’s most underused asset is just above our heads.”

“MARSHALLS HAD TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE ITS PAVING PORTFOLIO RELEVANT TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS LIVING IN FLATS, AND TO ITS COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS WHO WOULD INCREASINGLY BE OPERATING THEIR BUSINESSES FROM ROOFS AND BALCONIES”

Marshalls Established in the late 1800’s, Marshalls is now one of the UK’s largest hard landscaping manufacturers. Its product portfolio includes concrete flags and kerbs, block paving, natural stone, street furniture and water management products – everything needed to create better outside spaces.

W: www.marshalls.co.uk

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MATERIALS

PLANTERS

WOODBLOCX

WATERFRONT PROJECT FEATURES WOODEN PLANTERS

ADEZZ CORTEN STEEL PLANTERS BRING WARMTH TO COURTYARD being located on the ground floor, it has some characteristics of a roof garden.

Manufactured from 3mm thick Corten steel, the planters, running a length of 70m, are durable and require no maintenance. Once the Corten steel exterior weathers outdoors, a surface layer of rust is formed, protecting the steel underneath from further corrosion. www.adezz.com

©SjoerdFotografie

Bespoke Corten steel planters produced in a variety of sizes and designs from ADEZZ add elegance to a courtyard at a new apartment complex in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. The complex comprises 109 new apartments with an underground carpark. Landscape designers the Enk Groen & Golf laid out the courtyard on the roof of the carpark so, despite

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©WoodblocX

PROJECT FOCUS

Slessor Gardens in Dundee comprises eight plots containing a series of themed gardens, featuring a series of large wooden planters from WoodBlocX Landscaping. Landscape architects OPENOptimised Environments managed the project design and focused on developing an area to showcase the global and local influences that Dundee has had on the world. These include the impact on medical science, the fruit farming and jam industries and the trade routes. The outcome is four gardens themed to reflect Dundee’s historic global connections: The Baltic States, Caribbean, Asia and the Americas, and a further four to reflect key local connections and industries: The Natural Sciences, Health, Food production and Literature.

WoodBlocX planters showcased the design’s edible and medical gardens. The planters installed in the edible garden include separate sections allowing a variety of soil conditions to be created, and to give the planting the best possible base. WoodBlocX produces planters and street furniture which is made using a patented system of interlocking blocks, fitted together with recycled plastic dowels. This creates a durable structure that is quick and simple to build while providing a natural finish to spaces that include large areas of hard landscaping. Slessor Gardens uses contemporary materials alongside traditional ones to provide a balance of natural and geometric patterns, creating a striking finish. www.woodblocx-landscaping.co.uk

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MATERIALS

VESTRE

©Vestre

BLOC PLANTERS BRING COLOUR TO OSLO PROJECT

PLANTERS FEATURE IN REMODELLED ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

IOTA’s Boulevard planters were chosen for the remodelled Royal Opera House at the heart of Covent Garden in London. The transformed Opera House now welcomes visitors during the day to its new cafe, restaurants, shop and events programme.

The planters green the partly glazed terrace of Restaurant Level 5, with its unrivalled views over Covent Garden piazza and the city skyline. The planting scheme was created and installed by the multi award-winning team at Rosebank Landscaping, who paired the simple elegant grey containers with a restrained planting palette, to create an oasis-like space.

Round Boulevard Kyoto planters add perspective along the length of the terrace with the larger 900mm size planted with small trees. The versatility, capacity and appealing shape of this design make it one of IOTA’s most popular lines. Inside, tall slim Quadra planters were chosen and planted with sansevieria.

These planters are RAL 7016 Anthracite grey, which is the standard colour finish for the Boulevard range. Custom RAL colours are available for orders of any size. Made from a fibre reinforced cement, the planters have a good strength-to-weight ratio, making them suitable for a wide range of environments. www.iotagarden.com

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©IOTA

IOTA

A range of planters was developed by Vestre for the Aker Brygge project in Central Oslo. Comprising residential property, retail, offices, food outlets and entertainment, the Oslo development is situated in the former dockyard of Akers Mekaniske Verksted, which closed in 1982. Today, Aker Brygge is a vibrant part of the city’s harbour promenade, attracting 12 million visitors annually.

LINK Landskap was commissioned to revitalise the outdoor areas to create a more dynamic and diverse district. The Bloc planters have been located throughout this mixed-use development – along both the harbourside itself, on the edge of the Oslo fjord, and several neighbouring streets.

Available in four sizes, the planters are suitable for most urban plantings of perennials, shrubs and small trees. There is a choice of almost 200 standard colours and Corten steel and galvanised finishes are also available.

Bloc is fabricated in mild steel with a wall thickness of 8mm which makes the range durable. Hot dip galvanised to the same standards as elements installed on oil rigs in the North Sea, there is no risk of corrosion and a lifetime warranty is in place.

Powder coating is to C5-M class, which can cope with both airborne salinity in coastal areas and industrial pollution. www.vestre.com

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Inspiring, educating and informing the UK’s landscape architects and commercial landscapers

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From the smallest garden to the largest park, leading producers of quality nursery stock discover more online: Live stock availability 10% web discount Articles, events, offers Visit:

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MATERIALS

PODIUM TOPSOIL LIGHTWEIGHT SOLUTIONS

“THE GREENING OF URBAN AREAS IS VITAL TO THEIR SURVIVAL”

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Tower Bridge Communal Garden (Scotscape) 2 K ings Cross Station (Willerby Landscapes) 3 Canary Wharf Crossrail (Blakedown Landscapes)

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MATERIALS

jonathan bourne explains how Bourne Amenity produces quality lightweight soil fit for podium installations

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ourne Amenity was first asked to blend a soil for podium planting back in 2007. We were challenged to come up with a lightweight topsoil solution to help reduce the load burden, whilst maintaining the topsoil’s structural and nutritional integrity. The usual bulk density of our topsoils at field capacity is around 1,300kg per m³ and this had to be reduced to a working density somewhere below 1,000kg per m³. We didn’t however see our first official specification for a podium planting medium until 2012.

Podiums differ from roof gardens as they don’t often have the depth of materials available due to the way they are engineered. They are usually car park roofs that were not initially designed to take high volumes of materials, and don’t have drainage systems installed. The trend has changed over recent years and we are starting to see the greening of urban areas is vital to their survival. Plans for podium schemes and other SuDS are now considered at the design stage, allowing for better rain water management and ultimately creating more healthy living environments.

Podium soils, where load bearing and drainage are primary concerns, are becoming popular among those designing urban schemes that need to comply with SuDS requirements, as well as satisfy demands for more green spaces in densely populated areas. We have seen projects, such as Thomas Heatherwick’s 1,000 Trees scheme in Shanghai, which looks to make the most of urban space with an abundance of living roofs and walls. Space is at a premium, so designers are looking for innovative ways to reproduce full planting schemes within the restrictions of weight to floor space.

From a practical point of view, we were challenged with turning a naturally heavy sandy loam soil into a lightweight planting substrate without compromising the availability of nutrients or the integrity of the soil’s water holding capacity. When blending soils, you must find a natural balance that suits the planting

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Soils for podiums Bourne Amenity.indd 51

3 scheme and does not result in a material that has zero water retention and ends up drying out. There are various options available, from expanded clay pellets to crushed brick, and we utilise both across our range of lightweight materials for planting on podiums as well as roof tops. Through the use of graded lightweight materials, such as expanded clay, you can reduce the topsoil compaction that usually accompanies the installation of these materials in congested inner city projects. The sand and the lightweight expanded clay aggregate opens the soil profile and allows for water and air to pass more freely throughout the soil layer, creating a healthier environment for plants and shrubs.

The blending ratio is key to maintaining the correct drainage-to-nutrient balance, and it’s crucial that soils perform across drainage and nutritional indicators, as well complying with the bulk density limitations. Ideally, the dry weight of your podium soil needs to be as low as possible, without compromising the structure or growing performance of the topsoil.

Aim for around 800–850kg per m3 when the soil is bone dry. This will obviously increase upon saturation, but manufacturers should aim for their material to not rise above 1,200kg per m³ when fully saturated. If the scheme is effective, then the material should never reach full saturation, but it is important to include the saturation figure in your analysis.

“DESIGNERS ARE LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO REPRODUCE FULL PLANTING SCHEMES WITHIN THE RESTRICTIONS OF WEIGHT TO FLOOR SPACE”

Bourne Amenity Bourne Amenity is one of the country’s leading suppliers of hard and soft landscaping materials.

Specialising in bespoke soil blending, they have been servicing the industry with high level materials for over 40 years.

W: www.bourneamenity.co.uk

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